214 SUITING TPIE CLOTH TO 



of those diseases alluded to. This is putting the 

 thing in its Avorst light, and in a diametrically opposite 

 view to the one I take of it, so far as my humble 

 opinion is concerned; for, in that humble opinion, 

 distending a colt's bowels by grass, rendering him 

 gross and plethoric in habit, dull in himself, and 

 energetic in his temperament and movement, is likely, 

 when we want to call for his exertions, to produce 

 results ten times more fatal to our hopes than all the 

 excitement of constitution produced by the opposite 

 treatment. A debilitated habit, which the grass- 

 reared horse comparatively has, when opposed to the 

 one artificially reared, it would take years to work 

 up to that necessary for the race-horse and hunter ; 

 but if we find we have got the full tone in the instru- 

 ment, and half a note too high, there will be no great 

 difficulty in bringing it to concert pitch; 



That green meat is occasionally useful, and indeed 

 necessary for all colts, and indeed all horses, no one 

 will dispute ; but I should wish it to be considered 

 merely in the light of an alterative, not as a part of 

 the daily sustenance. Considered as an article of 

 p-eneral food, I would never let it into a stable; I 

 would as soon be forced to make half my dmner on 

 pickles. 



Warmth, we have been told so often, is congenial to 

 the horse, and necessary to him to meet our purposes, 

 that I believe there remains no doubt on that head. 

 I feel quite certain it is as necessary to his growth as 

 a colt, as it is to his condition as a liorse ; and 

 for this purpose, Nature in all countries furnishes 

 the clothing of the animal in accordance with the 

 climate. All Northern animals have long coats : this 

 shows that Nature from the first furnishes the cover- 

 ing fitted to the temperature of the climate or at- 



